One falls over, another bounces up to take his place. Such is South Africa's fast bowling battery that a ready-made replacement is never far away.

Rory Kleinveldt will replace his Cape Cobras team-mate Vernon Philander (hamstring) in tonight's second test, with the added incentive that it might be his only chance to impress before the world's No 2-ranked test bowler returns to play Pakistan next month.

A big unit in cricketing terms, 29-year-old Kleinveldt has 80 first-class matches to his name, including his first two tests on last year's tour of Australia. That was a fiery baptism as he bowled 12 no-balls in a wicketless Brisbane outing, before taking 4-146 in Adelaide, as he overstepped another 11 times.

"It was a very tough learning curve; playing on flat pitches against good opposition was a massive step up from first-class cricket," he said.

"I've learned a lot from that."

That includes keeping his giant boot behind the front line. Bowling coach Allan Donald has been working hard to stop him overstepping, and New Zealand's batsmen may well be tempted to call for the decision review system to check Kleinveldt's front foot at every dismissal. Still, he took 3-18 in the first T20 international against New Zealand in Durban, so he has form against the tourists.

He's strong and whacks the ball into the pitch in true South African fashion. And it won't be the worst gig backing up Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel.

"I've only played two first-class games here and done reasonably well here. So I've got some good memories of PE," he said. "It's generally quite slow and low and the lines you have to bowl are a bit straighter.

"Definitely [you have to be] a lot more patient than in Newlands. That had a bit more in it for the fast bowlers and we're going to have to work a lot harder."

He thinks the New Zealand batsmen's scars from Cape Town will have eased, too.

"It's tough to come back from being bowled out for 45 but I thought they batted really well in the second innings," he said.

"They came back nicely, so I think their confidence is going to be quite high so we're going to have to be on the money."